Speaker 1: Well, it's my pleasure to be joined on our podcast
Speaker 1: this week by the WBA Junior Lightweight Champion of the World,
Speaker 1: Lamont Roach Junior. B Lamont, you have a big fight
Speaker 1: coming up. You're not gonna be fighting in the junior
Speaker 1: lightweight division. You are moving up to lightweight to challenge
Speaker 1: the wo WBA champion in the lightweight division, Jervanta Tank Davis,
Speaker 1: in a pay per view fight from PBC on Prime
Speaker 1: Video also PPV dot Com, will take place on March
Speaker 1: first at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York. And
Speaker 1: welcome you to the show. And I'm good to talk
Speaker 1: to you. What I'd like to know I from your
Speaker 1: first Laman is you know, this fight's sort of been
Speaker 1: there was a lot of rumors maybe what happened, maybe
Speaker 1: it wouldn't. You were a named that was always sort
Speaker 1: of like at the top of the Tank list of
Speaker 1: what might be coming up for him. So could you
Speaker 1: just recount to me what your initial thoughts were when
Speaker 1: you actually got offered the fighting you this was a possibility.
Speaker 2: So when we actually as soon as we got the call,
Speaker 2: it was like, hell, yeah, honestly, that's about it.
Speaker 3: Like Rouge is in the car, I think, what's on me?
Speaker 2: And my dad's in the car on the way to
Speaker 2: the airport to go back home, and it was like
Speaker 2: he was just like you know, tangs changes called and
Speaker 2: he was like, we wanted to fight, of course.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well you've never been a guy that's been turning
Speaker 1: down fight. So, uh, that's something I know from having
Speaker 1: covered your whole career. If you go back to twenty nineteen, aount,
Speaker 1: you had a chance to fight Jamelle Herring back then
Speaker 1: for the WBO Junior light White title, your first opportunity
Speaker 1: or you know, a big prospect. You were undefeated. I
Speaker 1: believe you were the mandatory challenger at that time for
Speaker 1: his title, and you know, you gave a good fight,
Speaker 1: but you know it came up a little bit short,
Speaker 1: loss the decision, and I just wondered, you know, it
Speaker 1: took you a little while to get back to the
Speaker 1: position to fight for another world title. What do you
Speaker 1: feel like you learned from that first loss? You know,
Speaker 1: despite it being competitive, Uh, the.
Speaker 2: Fact that they aren't going to give me anything like
Speaker 2: like you said, it was it was a good fight.
Speaker 2: It was a good effort, but it just wasn't enough.
Speaker 2: I know, going into things especially as an underdog. Things
Speaker 2: I'm gonna you know what I'm saying, going to be,
Speaker 2: They're probably going to be stacked against me. So I
Speaker 2: just have to I just had to take matters into
Speaker 2: my own hands and make sure that I give no
Speaker 2: doubt that I should win. You know, the rest of
Speaker 2: my bouts going on throughout my career.
Speaker 1: Well you have done that because you have won six
Speaker 1: fights in a row since that particular fight, and in
Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, November of twenty twenty three, you got
Speaker 1: the chance to fight for a title again against Hector
Speaker 1: Luis s Garcia in Las Vegas, and you outpointed him
Speaker 1: in a close fight. You won the WBA title, And
Speaker 1: I wondered, Actually, I was thinking, you know, guys who
Speaker 1: you know, they they don't get anything, Like you said,
Speaker 1: nothing handed to Lamont. Roach, took your time prospect, you know,
Speaker 1: into main event fights eventually, you know, really worked your
Speaker 1: way to get that opportunity. Nearly ten years as a professional,
Speaker 1: from the time you started tell wing you won the title.
Speaker 1: What did it feel like to finally get it and
Speaker 1: know that all that hard work, all that you know,
Speaker 1: that decade of preparing for that moment, What did that
Speaker 1: mean to you.
Speaker 3: I mean everything to me.
Speaker 2: Just like you said, it was a whole bunch of
Speaker 2: hard work, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of faith,
Speaker 2: and just trusting myself, trusting my team and knowing.
Speaker 3: That we'll be will be exactly where we were supposed
Speaker 3: to be.
Speaker 1: You got a chance in June of last year, June
Speaker 1: of twenty twenty four, to defend the title for the
Speaker 1: first time. I know you had spoke about what it
Speaker 1: would mean to you to have a homecoming fight, to
Speaker 1: have a world championship fight in Washington, d C. Where
Speaker 1: you're you know where you're from originally, and you made
Speaker 1: that dream come true. You had a very good performance,
Speaker 1: a knockout victory against the undefeated Fergla McCrory in front
Speaker 1: of your fans in the district, had a good crowd there.
Speaker 1: Knockedhi out in the eighth round, pretty dominating victory. And
Speaker 1: I wonder you know, I hear from people they talk
Speaker 1: about making the dream come true. I talked recently with
Speaker 1: Keishawn Davis about him and his brothers wanting to have
Speaker 1: a homecoming fight and that was a dream for them.
Speaker 1: They finally got to accomplish that. And I asked him
Speaker 1: this question. I'm curious your response to it as well.
Speaker 1: How did the reality of having the title fight at
Speaker 1: home compared to the dream for all those years you had.
Speaker 3: I think it matched up to me, It matched up.
Speaker 2: It was something that I wanted to do, not only
Speaker 2: for myself, but for everyone has been following me since
Speaker 2: I started, my family, stretching my close family that that
Speaker 2: aren't able to make it out to La Vegas, you
Speaker 2: know what I'm saying, all.
Speaker 3: The other states that I fought in Puerto Rico, Mexico,
Speaker 3: like out of the country and stuff like that.
Speaker 2: So it was it was very satisfying for me.
Speaker 3: It was honestly just a dream come true.
Speaker 2: And you know, getting a dance in front of my
Speaker 2: home crowd is it is just it was just fun.
Speaker 1: It was a crazy atmosphere, I mean, that's for sure.
Speaker 1: But the fight with you and Gervante was discussed for
Speaker 1: maybe being you know, at the end of last year,
Speaker 1: that fight you just mentioned that you defended the title
Speaker 1: was in June. It didn't happen. There was you know,
Speaker 1: I didn't really there was issues over the venue it
Speaker 1: was gonna be in Houston. A lot of conversations. Ultimately
Speaker 1: it did not happen, rescheduled, and now it's taking place
Speaker 1: on March first. As I mentioned, was there any kind
Speaker 1: of frustration of only having the one fight last year
Speaker 1: and kind of having to put this off and waiting
Speaker 1: and waiting and waiting to get it all locked in?
Speaker 3: Uh, just just a.
Speaker 2: Little bit, yeah, honestly, because it's not like I'm signing
Speaker 2: the PBC or obviously not signed the GTD either, So
Speaker 2: you know what I'm saying, Like, it's not like I'm
Speaker 2: I'm in the loop as soon as every decision is made.
Speaker 2: So it is a little frustrating, but at the end.
Speaker 3: Of the day, it is what it is. It's boxing, man.
Speaker 2: You never know what you're going to get, and you know,
Speaker 2: it's just you just stay on board for the ride
Speaker 2: for real, for real. I was always ready, no matter
Speaker 2: the case, no matter whatever was going on with the venue.
Speaker 3: Honestly, I just think he wasn't ready. I think they,
Speaker 3: you know, scheduled it for when they.
Speaker 2: Think he'll be prepared for the match, and you know,
Speaker 2: so we was just fine tuning that all the way
Speaker 2: up until it was Tyn of Rock and Road.
Speaker 1: One of the things a lot of folks have talked
Speaker 1: about that is a certainly part of the storyline, if
Speaker 1: you will, of the fight between yourself and Tank, is
Speaker 1: that you fought as amateurs. You knew each other from
Speaker 1: those days. You're about the same age, you know, separated,
Speaker 1: but you're you're actually younger than him. You're twenty nine,
Speaker 1: he is thirty. Can you give me your side of
Speaker 1: the story, so to say, about the memories of what
Speaker 1: occurred in the amateurs? How many times did you fight?
Speaker 1: What happened and how do you remember those times?
Speaker 2: We thought twice they were very close competitive fights. And
Speaker 2: you know, the storyline that attests to how close they
Speaker 2: were is the fact that we fought in the same
Speaker 2: tournament before twice in the same tournament.
Speaker 3: You know, that doesn't happen. We fought in the regional
Speaker 3: championship and.
Speaker 2: I lost in Baltimore, and we sent the tape to
Speaker 2: USA Boxing, and they sent me an at large bid
Speaker 2: because they was like, it was a little this this
Speaker 2: this outcome is a little iffy, so to say.
Speaker 3: So, they sent me to the nationals.
Speaker 2: As well with an at large bid and I was
Speaker 2: on the other side of the bracket.
Speaker 3: He was on the other side of the bracket.
Speaker 2: We met up in the championship and he beat me
Speaker 2: in a close fight, So you know, it is.
Speaker 3: What it is.
Speaker 2: I think I want a second fight. I think the
Speaker 2: second fight I did better than the first fight. Of uh,
Speaker 2: it is what it is. And we do got the
Speaker 2: tape too. I think we're probably the only we're probably
Speaker 2: the only people who do have a tape only put
Speaker 2: it on YouTube.
Speaker 1: Some I got a while. I'd love to watch that.
Speaker 1: If you did. What year was that, Alamont? What year
Speaker 1: do you remember? So do you think I mean, like
Speaker 1: you said, if they whatever, whether you lost or not,
Speaker 1: you you believe that they were close and competitive. I
Speaker 1: guess to the extent that even USA boxing, you know,
Speaker 1: basically puts you in to uh be on the road
Speaker 1: to a possible rematch. And I've asked this the fighters
Speaker 1: when they fought in amateur fights and then they meet
Speaker 1: up as professionals. Some say it does, some say it doesn't.
Speaker 1: Do you think there's any bearing at all because you
Speaker 1: have at least a cursory knowledge of having been in
Speaker 1: the ring with him. Yes, you've evolved, Yes it's a
Speaker 1: while ago, but you know you've been face to face
Speaker 1: with them inside the boxing ring. That does it mean
Speaker 1: anything is to go into the professional fight.
Speaker 3: Honestly.
Speaker 2: Hmmm. Maybe not honestly if we honestly speaking, because I'm
Speaker 2: a totally different fighter.
Speaker 3: Uh, I think he might be.
Speaker 1: Mm hmm.
Speaker 2: But when it comes down to like, because it's personal,
Speaker 2: Like the fight itself is not personal. When I'm talking
Speaker 2: about the familiar the familiarity with him, it is personal.
Speaker 2: Like I know him fairly better than a lot of
Speaker 2: I mean, damn there everybody he probably fought, so, uh,
Speaker 2: you know, we actually have history, like outside of our fights,
Speaker 2: you know, we sparred a few times. I know, I
Speaker 2: just know how he operates from from what I know
Speaker 2: from from the encounters we have. You know, we've been
Speaker 2: in We've been in the same spaces since we were
Speaker 2: about ten, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3: So that's a long time. And my dad coached him
Speaker 3: on the on the National Golden Gloves team to a.
Speaker 2: To a national title, uh, to win the National Golden Gloves.
Speaker 3: So it's just it's it's it's a lot of factors there, said, I.
Speaker 1: Do get to feel out, do you think the feeling
Speaker 1: there's a lot you know, you guys may not be best friends,
Speaker 1: but like you that you're familiar that there's definitely a
Speaker 1: healthy respect be peing you guys.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, for sure, it's definitely healthy respect.
Speaker 2: Cool, like you know what I'm saying outside of the
Speaker 2: outside of the boxing, Like you know what I'm saying
Speaker 2: outside of the boxing and there ek me, I'm cool.
Speaker 2: I mean like, if you ask him, he'll be He'll
Speaker 2: tell you that we folks like people.
Speaker 3: So it's cool, all right.
Speaker 1: I got to ask this though. You know you are
Speaker 1: from Washington, d C. You had a great crowd at
Speaker 1: your fight in June. He's from Baltimore. That's you know,
Speaker 1: just up the road I'm in. I live in that area,
Speaker 1: so I know the rivalry. Uh you know that. So
Speaker 1: it felt like this is a DMV fight Capitol One Arena.
Speaker 1: He had a huge gate there when he fought the
Speaker 1: guy you beat for the title in Hector Luis Garcia.
Speaker 1: You had a great crowd for years. DC would be
Speaker 1: absolutely going crazy Baltimore for this fight. So nothing against
Speaker 1: brooklynw York. Wonderful venue, great fight city. Obviously, Barclay Center,
Speaker 1: first class all the way, covered many many fights there.
Speaker 1: How in the world is this fight not in the
Speaker 1: DMV Washington d C?
Speaker 2: Tell me about it, I think, so, you know, here's
Speaker 2: a superstar, so I'm pretty sure, like I'm thinking they're
Speaker 2: thinking about how the crowd is normally for you know,
Speaker 2: pro Jamonte and the crowd in DC would definitely be
Speaker 2: at least fifty to fifty and that's just at least,
Speaker 2: so that might be a thing. Probably didn't want me
Speaker 2: to have a home field advantage or what application may be.
Speaker 3: But we could have did it anywhere in the area. Honestly,
Speaker 3: you know what I'm saying, Like, did you want it
Speaker 3: in the area? I would have preferred it, Yeah, But
Speaker 3: to me, it don't. Man. We could fight in Africa
Speaker 3: for all I can.
Speaker 1: All right, so when you go into the ring, I mean,
Speaker 1: we all know Gervonte Davis is a tremendous puncher. Doesn't
Speaker 1: throw a lot of punches, but he's knocked out virtually
Speaker 1: everybody and he's just been a dominating figure. You are
Speaker 1: obviously more of a supreme boxer. You didn get a
Speaker 1: knockout of your last fight, though, so I wonder how
Speaker 1: do you plan to deal with that punching power?
Speaker 2: Best spawn bigger guys and uh we respawn guys that
Speaker 2: are considered punchers. Uh, you know, it's a totally different
Speaker 2: story once you get in there than.
Speaker 3: Ay ounces and know, but I've been punching him. I've
Speaker 3: been pushing the face.
Speaker 2: When I was Now you though, man, like you know
Speaker 2: what I'm saying, Like if his better think a.
Speaker 3: Little more, you know what I'm saying, they might sting
Speaker 3: a little more.
Speaker 2: They're gonna sting a little more. But trust me, I
Speaker 2: like to think I got a chin. Never been down,
Speaker 2: amateur or professional, never been hurt, like to like to
Speaker 2: the chin or whatever the case may be.
Speaker 3: So it is what it is. Like we ready. Then
Speaker 3: the thing is, we're gonna see how he reacts when
Speaker 3: he gets hit by my my punches.
Speaker 1: Anyway, Well, if you've been getting hits into or not,
Speaker 1: I'll just say, better at you than me from that standpoint.
Speaker 1: And I looked over his record just as I was
Speaker 1: getting ready to talk to you, and I was sort
Speaker 1: of thinking to myself, Okay, he fought an older, sort
Speaker 1: of not near his best gamboa who was obviously a
Speaker 1: great boxer, electrifying talent and a gold medal winner in
Speaker 1: the Olympics, but he wasn't at his best. Come out
Speaker 1: of the equation, I was looking and like you're still
Speaker 1: a top fresh prime guy world champ. Uh. I feel
Speaker 1: like looking at that record that Lamar Roach Jr. Is
Speaker 1: probably the best pure boxer he'll ever have faced so
Speaker 1: far in his professional career. What is your what is
Speaker 1: your take on that that maybe you've got the skills
Speaker 1: to really cause him some trouble with the boxing ability
Speaker 1: that you possess.
Speaker 2: That's a fact that everything you just said is definitely
Speaker 2: a fact.
Speaker 3: It's a fact for sure.
Speaker 2: And they know that though I think they're going to
Speaker 2: prepare they I think I know they're going to prepare
Speaker 2: for you know, what I have to.
Speaker 3: Bring to the table. Like they know that one hundred
Speaker 3: for a fact that I'm the best all around like
Speaker 3: boxer that he's going to be in a ring with.
Speaker 1: When they talk about who they want to see Tank fight,
Speaker 1: I'll wrap up with this. Uh. They talk about wanting
Speaker 1: to see a Tank against of course Stevenson a unification.
Speaker 1: They talk about it ta Fimo Lopez fight. There's been
Speaker 1: a lot of conversation. They tried to make recently a
Speaker 1: Lomachenko fight. He elected to take some time off. Uh
Speaker 1: mentioned Lama Roach. I've heard people like kind of poo
Speaker 1: pooh the fight, say you know Mutch he's you know,
Speaker 1: they're upset about the fight. I'm like, why this is
Speaker 1: a really good boxer against a really good puncher. They
Speaker 1: got that rivalry from the home, you know, from the
Speaker 1: home region, And so when they don't mention your name
Speaker 1: and they kind of overlook you and I'm not just
Speaker 1: kissing your your ad because we're doing the interview, I
Speaker 1: kind of think it's unfair. But why do you think
Speaker 1: that that is that they look at those other names
Speaker 1: but they don't include a Lamont Roach Junior in that
Speaker 1: conversation about like a worthy opponent for Tank Davis.
Speaker 2: Uh. Mainly probably because I'm not known to a lot
Speaker 2: of casual fans and people who don't really know or
Speaker 2: are in tune with boxing and it's boxing it in
Speaker 2: its entirety, you know what I'm saying, Like, some people
Speaker 2: really just don't know, so that might be a factor.
Speaker 2: And like I said, he's a megas, he's a megastars,
Speaker 2: a super star, and he has been knocking everybody out,
Speaker 2: so you know what I'm saying, Like, so you know
Speaker 2: what I'm saying, Like there's pieces that go together that
Speaker 2: would make people say what they say about the fight
Speaker 2: or whatever the case may be. I'm not a worthy opponent,
Speaker 2: but for real, real, I got a lot of profanity
Speaker 2: for them.
Speaker 3: That's about it, all right.
Speaker 1: So then to the final question that what would the
Speaker 1: victory mean to you, not only a world title, but
Speaker 1: knocking off you know, like you said one of the
Speaker 1: biggest stars in boxing.
Speaker 3: That it's gonna it's gonna mean so much to me.
Speaker 2: But it's definitely gonna Uh, it's definitely just gonna be this,
Speaker 2: that's gonna this is gonna be the start of my
Speaker 2: my legacy, brun you know, like you know how some
Speaker 2: people have a run like Ory Jones was champion and
Speaker 2: so many weight becus for teen years, pak yall Wood
Speaker 2: up from one twelve all the way to fifty four
Speaker 2: to knock everybody.
Speaker 3: Like you know what I'm saying, a staple in it.
Speaker 2: This is my staple, right cause, trust me, after this,
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go Vinands trust me.
Speaker 1: Alright. Well, that's big words. I look forward to seeing
Speaker 1: if you can back them up on March first at
Speaker 1: Barclay cent and Brooklyn Lmont. Thank you very much for
Speaker 1: the time. I wish you're the best of luck in
Speaker 1: to fight
Speaker 3: Alright, no doubt, man I appreciate you.